Education, Women & Children News

Seoul City to Have 400 Children’s Forests by 2023

04/21/2017SMG2883

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) will increase the number of children’s forests in Seoul to 400 so that children can play hard and grow up healthy. Forests will be built in green areas of each village to increase the number of children’s forests by nearly tenfold by 2023, with the goal of having one forest per each administrative dong unit.

The Children’s Forest is a space where children can play with small animals, leaves, branches, and flowers in nature. It is demonstrated to be educationally beneficial, producing calming effects.

The first children’s forest was built in 2011. Currently, there are 41 locations including Eungbong Park in Yongsan-gu and Ujang Park in Gangseo-gu.

The SMG, instead of pursuing its conventional policy of forming mid-to-large-size children’s forests, plans to discover green areas in hills, streams, and parks of each neighborhood to create new ones.

The SMG will expand the scope of users to include elementary school students, parents, and teachers in addition to preschoolers. Forests will be utilized as a place of learning and various interactive programs will be created to promote healing.